AuthorStephen GappsLink to PublicationFairfield City Open LibrariesPublished byFairfield City Museum and GalleryMigration Heritage Centre NSWDescriptionFairfield is a well known as a place where several migrant communities have based their settlement in New South Wales over the last fifty years. The Italian, Vietnamese, and Assyrian communities are quite prominent in the district. However it is not so well known that over 130 nationalities live here in the Fairfield Local Government Area and over three quarter of all residents have overseas ancestry. Fairfield is one of the most culturally diverse areas in Australia.
This short history documents the story of migration and settlement in Fairfield from its Indigenous beginnings to our present day 'city of migrant'. It outlines when different communities settled in Fairfield in the wider context of migration to New South Wales and regional development if the Fairfield area. The history seeks to uncover why Fairfield has been such as magnet for migrants - for many more years than we might think
The European-Australian history of Fairfield is well documented. Perhaps surprisingly considering the current cultural make-up of the city, a broad overview of migration and settlement in Fairfield has not until now been Copy rightsFairfield City Council
Stephen Gapps, Fairfield: Evolution of a Migrant City. Fairfield City Heritage Collection, accessed 12/03/2026, https://heritagecollection.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/391
